The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-06-17
THE DAILY NEWS
A COSTLY wAlF OF THE SEA.
Sailors Once I'm n While Find n Fortune
Floating ON the Water.

Sailors Once I'm - While Find u Fortune
Floating ON the Water.
Two sailors entered wholesale drug
store ON lower Nassau street the other
day, carrying with them n parcel which
they handled as carefully as a young
mother fondles her infant. They thought
they had piece of ambergris, which IL
a very costly substance usually found IN
the belly of a dyspeptic whale.
They We're confident they had some
thing worth about $4,000, but upon
examination, unfortunately, it was found
to be only hardened tallow mixed Win
dirt and salt-about as valuable as
chattel mortgage ON a flock OF pigeons
The captain could not believe In the eA,
pert's Judgment and went out, sun
clutching his long guarded treasure ana
expressing his dissatisfaction with q
liberal use of profanity. Similar mis-
takes to the one already described are
often made in this city. The proprietor
of the store spoke of the history and uses
of ambergris as follows:
.sNearly every one Is constantly using
ambergris. 1t is every day IN the hands
of ladies and gentlemen throughout the
world. but comparatively few people
know anything about it. Its oiIGin Is
DISPUTED. Even scientists do not agree
unon its trtle source: and, although 1t
enters all houses where civilization reaches
and AN immensely profitable trade in the
commodity is carried on, nine out OF ten
people whom you meet would not know
what you meant if you mentioned ITS
NAME 1t is a slatelike substance, vary
ing in color from dark to light gray, the
darker shades, which are also denser IN
fiber, being the most valuable. n piece
weighing from twenty 70 thrty-iiVe
pounds il seen but once in Lifetime.
The most Of it handel by the dealers is
made ND of pieces only few ounces IN
weight. 1t is worth to-day about S24
Der ounce and during the last few years
has sold a. high US $40 per ounce in con-
sequence of its scarcity. Finding piece
of il is ike finding IS note. You are
as likely, or unlikely, to lind 1T In one
place as in another. There are several
theories as TO its origin, the generally ac-
cepted one being that it Is an accumula-
ton of secreted and indigestible matter
in the stomach of a sick whale. lt Is
found all over the globe at rare intervals
by seafaring men, either floating ON the
water, cast up ON some shore or lodged
Inside the whale. The greatest source OF
supply is the Arctic ocean, and also the
southern attitudes, the usual cruising
ground of the whaling vessels. The COM
Inanoers are ALWAYS on the lookout for 1T,
as among the superstitious of the sea it Is
considered AN omen of good luck for the
ship ever afterward when her master
brings home n piece of aInbergris. He Is
always allowed a portion of the profits.
You could put piece worth SI0,0o In
your overcoat pocket, and from this you
can understand how the toilers of the
Al ,ls..,s. I.NIVnf
ing for it.
THE fact that it is the most efficient
known substance in producing the last
ing quality in perfumery gives 1T its enor-
NOUS commercial value, Civet and musk
are used for the same purpose, but are
not as powerful When a perfume is
made, white rose, cassia or heiotrope.
for example, the odor of the flowers
would quickly pass away, as the spirits
forming the body of the liquid evapOrate.
Arnbcrgris. however, prevents this, and
is the indispensable boon that holds back
tho scent for days and weeks upon the
handkerchief When treated with alco-
hol it divides itself up into an almost in
finite number of iino particles, which are
mixed in the pcrfumcry and remain on
the fabric after the spirits have eyapor-
ated, acting as minute reservoirs and
holding the pure essence of the flower
after the cloth is perfectly dry. One
ounce dissolved in gallon of alcohol will
make strong tincture, and you would
be required to use only a single ounce of
this tiucturo in gallon of perfumery,
which conveys an idea of how far few
ounces of ambergris will go. Its production
is limited to few pounds per year, where
as it is the most important factor in the
manufacture of millions of gallons of per-
fumery When large piece is found,
the news of the discovery is telegraphed
to dealers and the markets of the world
are affected. In one instance n New
York firm, some years ago, bought up a
large portion of the existing supply and
realized largely on the corner thus pro-
duced Boston is the most influential
center. rs New Bedford, near at hand,
sends out more whaling ships than any
other city of any country. The owners
of the ships sell the ainbcrgris to the
wholesale dealers, and although all drug
stores keep little on hand, it is bought
directly from the wholesale men by the
perfumery manufacturers. New York
Mail and Express.
a Sailors Compliment